The United Nations System
and its Humanitarian Role
1. GA Resolution 46/182 (1991)
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Position of the ERC
Establishment of the IASC
Institutionalization of OCHA
Humanitarian coordinator system
International appeals
Position of the ERC
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Head of OCHA
Responds to requests of affected states
Mobilization of external assistance
Advocates for access to affected population
Chairs IASC
Supervises network of humanitarian
coordinators
IASC
UN AGENCIES
• WFP(F.M.)
International
Organizations
• IOM (S.I.)
• UNICEF (F.M.)
• WHO (F.M.)
• FAO (F.M.)
• World Bank(S.I.)
Сеть
NGOНПО
netwroks
• ICVA (S.I.)
•• Межд.
Совет (S.I.)
Interaction
добровольных
•учреждений
(S.I.)
(S.I.)
IASC
• UNDP (F.M.)
• UNHCR (F.M.)
• OHCHR (S.I.)
• UNFPA (F.M.)
• OCHA (F.M.)
• Интерэкшн (S.I.)
RED CROSS/RED
CRESENT
• ICRC (S.I.)
• IFRC (S.I.)
Other UN
Special Rep on
IDPs (S.I.)
GA 46/182: Lead Role of Government
in Humanitarian Response
‘Each State has the responsibility first and foremost to
take care of victims of natural disasters and other
emergencies occurring on its territory. Hence, the
affected State has the primary role in the initiation,
organization, coordination, and implementation of
humanitarian assistance within its territory.’
‘States whose populations are in need of humanitarian
assistance are called upon to facilitate the work of
these organizations in implementing humanitarian
assistance, in particular the supply of food,
medicines, shelter and health care, for which access
to victims is essential’
Responsibilities of the government
• Provide leadership to the response
• Ensure mechanisms for coordination with
humanitarian partners
• Facilitate easy entry and exit of non-residential
humanitarian partners, personnel, goods and
equipment
• Facilitate legal status of operations of non-residential
humanitarian partners
• Provide “Humanitarian space”: Ability of
humanitarian actors to work independently and
impartially in pursuit of humanitarian imperative
Supporting role of humanitarian
partners
No organisation has a comprehensive
mandate or the capacity to assist and
protect a large number of vulnerable
populations
Responsibilities of humanitarian
partners
• Needs and beneficiary based assistance: Aid that seeks
to save lives and alleviate suffering, including support to
existing services (such as food, water, health, shelter,
education, etc)
• Protection: All activities aimed at ensuring respect for the
rights of the individual in accordance with the letter and
the spirit of relevant bodies of law, including international
human rights, humanitarian, and refugee law
• Protection should always be integrated into humanitarian
assistance
Common Humanitarian Principles:
• Humanity (humanitarian imperative comes
first, right to receive assistance)
• Impartiality (aid provided regardless of
race, creed, nationality – needs-based)
• Neutrality (organisations not working as
instruments of government foreign policy)
• Independence
Coordination through HC and HCT
1. IASC-wide consensus to establish
coordination structures under leadership of
RC/HC
2. Humanitarian Country Teams are broadbased, with UN, NGO, International Red
Cross/Red Crescent Movement, IOs
representation
3. Senior level coordination platform for
strategic planning, priority setting, and
decisions
4. Aims to support inter-cluster coordination
OCHA
• Supports the RC/HC in emergency
response tools and services
• Resource mobilisation: appeals, CERF,
pooled funds
• Information management
• Disaster response preparedness
Humanitarian appeal (CAP)
• Coordination tool for international response
and resource requirements
• UN, NGO, Red Crescent, others
• Make donors more effective by precluding
simultaneous, overlapping appeals
• Officially issued in Geneva
Relief Coordination - the reality?
SG
OCHA
New York
Donor
Govt’s
OCHA
Coordinator
WFP
UNCEF
UNCS
UNHCR
CMOC
MIL
NGOs
Rome
UNDP
IFRC
PNS’
UNDAC
USAID/
DART
NGOs
OSOCC
WFP
EMOPS
Humanitarian
Coordinator
Ambassador
NGOs
NGOs
Private
Humanitarian reforms
Cluster approach
Humanitarian financing
Adequate capacity and
predictable leadership in
all sectors
Adequate, flexible and
timely financing
Humanitarian coordinators
Partnership
Effective leadership and
coordination in humanitarian
emergencies
Strong and equal
partnership between UN
and non-UN partners
Global Cluster Leads
Sector/Cluster
Designated Lead
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2.
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4.
FAO
UNHCR & IOM
UNDP
UNICEF & Save the
Children
UNHCR & IFRC
(convenor)
OCHA, UNICEF & WFP
WHO
WFP
UNICEF
UNHCR
UNICEF
Agriculture
Camp Coordination & Camp Mgmt
Early Recovery
Education
5. Emergency Shelter
6. Emergency Telecommunications
7. Health
8. Logistics
9. Nutrition
10. Protection
11. Water, Sanitation & Hygiene
5. Web information
• www.reliefweb.int
• http://ochaonline.un.org/
• www.irinnews.org